Vehicle-spring



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

1 E. P. MORSE.

VEHICLE SPRING. No. 505,248. Patented Sept. 19, 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- E. P. MORSE.

VEHICLE SPRING.

, mum/z Patented Sept. 19, 1.893.

WITNESSES: @Jfi??? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVERETT F. MORSE, OF TRUMANSBURG, NEW YORK.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,248, dated Septmber 19, 1893.

Application filed February 24, 1892. Serial No. 422,686. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

1 3e it known that I, EVERETT F. MORSE, a citlzen of the United States,residing at Trumansburg, in the county of Tompkins and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicle-Springs, of which the following is a specification.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide springs for fourwheeled vehicles of simple construction in which a large portion of theelastic material composing the spr ngs is subjected to torsional strainsand whlch will provide great flexibility to vertical depression combinedwith the desired stlffness to both sidewise and endwise tipping of thebody.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating myunvention, Figure 1, is aside elevation of a side-bar vehicle embodying my improvements, having apart of the side bar broken away. Fig. 2, is a bottom view of a part ofthe same. Fig. 3, is a transverse vertical sectlon on the line X X,Fig. 1. Figs. 4: and 5 are views of the bearings for the upper springs.

Simllar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, A is the front axle, A the rear axle, B theside bars, and D the perch all of which may be connected in the usualway.

Q is the body hung to the side bars by my springs consisting of thelower springs a, the C-sprmgs b, and the upper springs c. The lowersprings consist of the arms 0. firmly attached to the under side of thebody by bolts n, and n. The torsional branches a a arranged one abo ethe other and extending crosswise of the body and the arm a, extendingforward from the lower torsion branch, below the side-bar, to which itsforward end is attached by shackle a. The C-springs b, which are firmlyattached to the side bars by clips b 1), curve upward and have theirfree ends provided with ears adapted to receive the eyes of arms 0, towhich they are pivotally connected. The upper springs consist of thearms 0, arranged on either side of the body, the torsion rods 0' 0extending through thesides of the "body and across it to the opposlteside where they project into the sockets 2', (Figs. 4 and 5) of hangersh and f.

These springs are supported near the arms 0, and just within the sidesof the body by a peculiar form of bearing, a side view of which is shownin Figs. 4 and 5. These hangers are firmly secured to the frame of thebody, preferably to the plate beneath the seat by bolts m m. The bearingsurfaces h, f, of these hangers curve outward, that is, their centers ofcurvature are on the opposite sides of the bearing surfaces from thetorsion bars they support. The flat sides of the substantiallyrectangular torsion bars bear against the surfaces and rock against themas the arms 0, are turned. Extending vertically or nearly so from eitherside of these bearing surfaces, are arms h and f and on the inner sidesof these arms leathers h and f are fastened. These serve to hold thetorsion bars in position under the bearings and form an anti-squeakingsurface for the springs to turn against.

While in hanger 71, the socket for receiving the end of the torsion baris arranged below the inverted arched bearing h", in hanger f, thesocket is arranged above the bearing surface, thus permitting thetorsion bars to be arranged one above the other and clamped together attheir middle point by clamp 0 A neat escutcheon e, protects the bodywhere the springs pass through its sides.

The yielding of the torsion branches of the upper and lower spring underloading, permits the arms a and c, to which they are attached, to turnthrough a limited angle about their respective torsion branches and theparts of the body to which these arms are attach ed, to be depressedalong substantially vertical paths thus causing the body to move up anddown in a very even and pleasant manner to compensate for rough roads.

The objectionable freedom of most side-bar springs to both rolling andpitching, is avoided in these springs, first, by additional resistanceto side rocking due to the arrangement of the springs 0, above thesprings a, second, by the equalizing action of the torsion springs o 0due to their being clamped together in the middle, thus causing theportions 0 of these torsion rods extending from the clamp 0 into thesockets 'i, of the hangers f, and h, to yield angular motion alike toboth arms a c, on opposite sides of the body, and third, by thesuspension of the body from high supports attained by the arrangement ofthe upper springs.

Among the advantages of the hangers Figs. 4 and 5, are simplicity,cheapness and the nicety with which it works. It requires no change ofform in the spring bars and, as the bar turns against it, there is avery small amount of slipping for the maximum angular motion of thebars. Evidently the curvature of this bearing may be made either greateror smaller than that shown, as will best serve the purpose in theparticular case to which it is adapted.

I claim under separate application, Serial No. 422,794, filed February24, 1892, somewhat similar springs as applied to two wheeled vehicles,to which reference may be made.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a Vehicle, the combination with the body,of a spring consisting of a torsion rod extending through the sides ofthe body, crosswise within the same and securely attached to theframework thereof,and an arm rigidly attached to said torsion bar,arranged outside of the body, alongside thereof-and supported at itsfree end by the gear, substantially as described.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with the body, of springs consisting ofarms arranged outside of and along either side of the body, torsion barsextending crosswise of the body within the same, said torsion bars beingarranged one above the other, clamped together at their middle andhaving their ends projecting into sockets of hangers firmly bolted tothe body frame, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the body and sidebars of a vehicle, of theC-springs b, the torsion springs ccc having the arms 0, ar-

ranged without, and the torsion branches 0' 0 within the body,substantially as described. 4. In a vehicle the combination with thebody of two springs arranged, one above, or in a higher position thanthe other, the one attached to the bottom of the body, arrangedlengthwise of the same and supported by the gear, the other attached tothe side of the body extending alongside of the same and supported bythe gear, substantially as descrlbed.

5. The combination with a torsion spring of a hanger having an outwardlycurved bearing surface, a substantially rectangular torsion bar arrangedagainst said surface and adapted to rock about the same, arms projectingfrom the hanger on either side of said torsion bar, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

6. The combination with a torsion spring of hangers having an outwardlycurved bearing surface, a substantially rectangular torsion bar arrangedagainst said surface and adapted to rock about the same, arms projectingfrom the hangers on either side of said torsion bar, leathers attachedto the inner side of these arms, substantially as described.

'7. The combination with two torsion springs each provided withsupporting arms and tor.- sion rods, said rods being arranged one abovethe other and clamped together, of two hangers, each of which isprovided with an outwardl y curved bearing surface for one spring toturn against and a socket to receive the end of the other spring, thesockets in the different hangers being arranged one above and the otherbelow said bearing surface, substantially as described."

EVERETT F. MORSE.

Witnesses:

O. P. GREGG, V. D. MORSE.

